Facing Reality
by ananova
Summary: Some harsh words from Inuyasha cause Kagome to consider her feelings and actions.


Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha and all characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I don't own them and am not making any money from this.

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><p>Originally posted to At First Tweak on July 31, 2011 for Prompt #49 Running Away. Won 1st place.<p>

Title: Facing Reality

Author: ananova

Rating: T

Genre: Introspection/Romance

Universe: Canon

Word Count: 1202

Summary: Some harsh words from Inuyasha cause Kagome to consider her feelings and actions.

A/N: Not sure where this came from as it turned out completely different from what I intended. But you have to go where the muse takes you.

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><p>Kagome sighed as she finally heard her friends give up. She knew she was delaying the inevitable but she just didn't feel like putting up with their nosiness and matchmaking attempts at the moment. So as soon as school had ended she had rushed out of the building, hastily calling out that she was needed at home and pretended not to hear them calling out to her. She had especially pretended not to hear Houjou, not wanting to see what gift he had for her 'illness' this time.<p>

"Who am I kidding?" she muttered as the steps to the shrine came into view. "I'm just running away, again." Another sigh escaped her as she began the long climb up the stairs. She had gotten very good at that lately.

Finally reaching the top, she paused and looked around the grounds. Instead of heading towards the house she altered her path and approached the Goshinboku. She smiled sadly before sitting down with her back against the great tree. She closed her eyes and remembered.

They had been arguing again. She had wanted to come home, she had a test coming up. He had refused, saying that their quest was more important. So she had sat him and proceeded to the well. But as she had made to jump in he had burst into the clearing, accusing her of running away.

"_Feh! There you go running away again! Don't you know you've got responsibilities here?" _he had shouted at her.

She had told him she had responsibilities in her time as well.

"_Keh! Not as important as the shards." _He had glared at her. _"You're just running away like you always do!"_

She had sat him again and jumped into the well but his words had remained with her. That had been two days ago and try as she might to deny the words, Kagome knew that they held a ring of truth.

Kagome sighed at leaned further into the Goshinboku. "He's right, I do run away from my problems" she said aloud as she recalled all of the times that she had run away, like when she had seen Inuyasha and Kikyou by the Goshinboku, or after they had gotten into another fight and she had come running back through the well. She was even doing it here in her time, trying to escape her friends. They meant well but they didn't understand, couldn't understand. And instead of setting them straight, she ran from them.

"I'm a coward" she murmured to herself, forcing herself to admit the truth. She hadn't really come back this time for her test, that had just been an excuse. She had just gotten tired of all of the insults and the fighting and the realization that despite how much she loved Inuyasha he would never love her like that. And so she had run away.

A quiet thud in front of her had her opening her eyes in surprise. She jerked away from the tree only to freeze as her eyes met gold. "I-Inuyasha?" she gasped out, startled by his nearness.

"You ain't no coward" he told her quietly, seriously.

Kagome could only gape at him. He had heard her? How much had he overheard?

He snorted and folded his arms over his chest even as he sat down beside her. She could feel the heat radiating from him as their legs barely brushed against one another. "You ain't no coward, wench" he repeated. "You think a coward would go into battle against youkai like you do, or be able to hurt Naraku with an arrow, or find the shards? Think again."

Kagome turned her head to stare at him in shock. That almost sounded like a compliment. From him it was one. "But you said it yourself, I was running away."

"Feh. Don't you know by now not to take the things I say seriously?" Inuyasha was surprised himself that he was admitting this. But he had seen the look on her face and felt the aura of sadness that surrounded her as she had sat below the Goshinboku. She had been so distracted that she hadn't even registered his presence in it's branches. And then she had spoken and he had known. He was the cause of her sadness. So when he heard her calling herself a coward when she was one of the bravest people he knew, he knew he had to fix things somehow.

He turned his head to look at her, catching her gaze once more and holding it, a serious expression on his face. "You know I'm not good with words. And I don't think things through enough, especially before I speak. But I've told you before, I **need** you with me. So I say things I don't mean, trying to get you to stay. But at the same time" he sighed at what he was about to admit, "I don't want to admit how much I need you. So I say other things I don't mean, and insult you."

Kagome gaped at him. "So you don't mean it when you say I'm ugly or not as good as Kikyou?"

Inuyasha winced. "No, those are lies. I don't mean any of them."

Her face softened as she realized what he was admitting to her. "So you don't think I'm running away?"

"Not always. Not this time. This time I just didn't want you to leave" he admitted quietly.

"But there are times you think I do run away?"

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "There are times when you don't want to face something and then you come back here" he admitted.

Kagome knew instantly what he was talking about. "You mean Kikyou." She saw him open his mouth to say something and cut him off. Perhaps it was time they finally cleared the air between them. "And you would be right." She sighed.

Inuyasha cringed at her tone. "Kagome..." he trailed off, not knowing what else he could say.

"No, it's alright. I know your feelings for her. I have no right to ask you to forget her, especially when it was my decision to come back. But I can't help my own feelings and sometimes they overwhelm me and I need a break. So, yes, you could call that running away."

"Just because I care about her, doesn't mean I don't care about you" he told her as their gazes locked once more. He reached out and cupped her face with his hand. "I **need** **you**."

And staring into his eyes Kagome understood. Her own eyes softened as she realized what he was saying. She covered his hand with her own smaller one as she smiled at him.

Inuyasha saw the smile and knew that she understood. "No more running away?" he asked her.

Her smile widened, becoming brighter. "No, I'm through running" she said as she stood and grabbed his hand, leading him to her house. Everything wasn't settled and they still faced a lot of problems but they would face them, together.


End file.
